You probably didnt know this, but big cats, Pumas, Cougars or Jaguars are believed to roam the Australian bush by many.

Reports have been made since the 1940s and have been steadily increasing. This increase is either due to population expansion, increased technology, increased breeding or an increase in nut cases, depending on where you stand.

Australian Government Authorites discount all sightings as large feral cats. There is widespread belief that acknowledging the existance of these animals in the Australian bush is a political issue, especially within the various State goverment environmental egancies. These department are afraid of losing face after decades of denial.

Most people believe these big cats eithe rescaped from circuses in the 1930s-1950s or were mascots released by US servicemen during the second world war.

The quality of video and photographic evidence has improved greatly in the last 20 years. Those of us who have seen the video footage are in no doubt they do exist.

Sightings have been reported by school children, policemen, farmers and everyone inbetween. Sceptics always claim the photographs are doctored. DNA testing of the black cat hanging below, was "inconclusive". It was said to be just a large feral cat.

It would seem that until a live one is presented to the zoo for identification, these big cats will remain a myth.

We have no native big carnivores here. The largest is the Dingo, the size of a domestic dog. NO native animal could leave prints like these, hang a kangaroo in a tree, strip a sheep like this, or kill a horse like this. Most sightings are in rocky areas with plenty of caves. There are dozens of other photos around the place.

It is entirely plausable that big cats did escape from circuses in the old days or were released by US servicemen and have since bred up in the bush.

I present this selection of photographs for your judgement. I would be interested in your comments.

I present this selection of photographs for your judgement. I would be interested in your comments.

You must remember that as we sit here looking upon those pictures. we have no way of knowing where they came from. I don't doubt your word as to where you think they came from, but you didn't take all those photos did you? So you have to depend upon someone elses word as to where those photos came from.

Having said that.... Here in the USA we have many animals found in places not native to those areas, or even to this country. There are big snakes in Florida eating the aligators. So I do not doubt there could be a wide range of big cats brought in and released down in Australia. I just don't understand why it would be such a political issue.

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:rainbowflower: Light travels faster than sound. This is why some people appear bright until you hear them speak. :rainbowflower:

cats will take down animals from above, as it appears the horse was taken down. we have mountain lions around and that's their favorite trick. they even get the occasional jogger. when you find they have attacked from the ground, it's usually in spring when they are teaching their babies to take down bigger animals. they'll grab a shoulder or flank and dig in. the older, smarter ones hang out in trees and come down on the neck. there are usually plenty of distinctive claw marks to go along with the teeth marks.

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.....The greatest changes occur in their country without their cooperation. They are not even aware of precisely what has taken place. They suspect it; they have heard of the event by chance. More than that, they are unconcerned with the fortunes of their village, the safety of their streets, the fate of their church and its vestry. They think that such things have nothing to do with them, that they belong to a powerful stranger called “the government.” They enjoy these goods as tenants, without a sense of ownership, and never give a thought to how they might be improved.....

The best bit of evidence, was a partiel dog skeleton, found in a cave, complete with rope and collar tied around its neck. The collar had the tag on it, and it was traced to an owner in Halls Gap who said it had been tied up in the yard and vanished one night!!

Ah rats!!! that poor old dog, hope he never saw it comin'. Great day. Cindi

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There are strange things done in the midnight sun by the men who moil for gold. The Arctic trails have their secret tales that would make your blood run cold. The Northern Lights have seen queer sights, but the queerest they ever did see, what the night on the marge of Lake Lebarge, I cremated Sam McGee. Robert Service

In Scotland they have Nessy the Loch Ness Monster. In the Pacific Northwest we have the sasquatch aka Big foot of Indian lore. In the Hemilayas there is the Yeti (often confused with Bigfoot) and many other areas of the world have their "mythical" beast.Just because it does not "Officially" exist doesn't mean it doesn't exist. Keep looking and proof either way will adventually be found. Having hunted Pumas (aka Mountain Lion, Florida Panther) I know how elusive they can be, especially when you're looking for one.

« Last Edit: December 28, 2006, 10:06:37 PM by Brian D. Bray »

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Life is a school. What have you learned? :brian: The greatest danger to our society is apathy, vote in every election!

Brian, pardon my curiosity, do you live on the Anacortes Island? Great day. Cindi

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There are strange things done in the midnight sun by the men who moil for gold. The Arctic trails have their secret tales that would make your blood run cold. The Northern Lights have seen queer sights, but the queerest they ever did see, what the night on the marge of Lake Lebarge, I cremated Sam McGee. Robert Service

Pumas, known here as mountain lions, don't normaly hang their prey in trees. They tend to cover them with leaves and trash. When climbing they tend toward sloping trees and easy access. There is one large cat about the same size that does hang its prey and climb more vertical trees. And it was for years a popular pet among the "Jet set". I would suspect the animal to be a Leopard. They are as adaptable as a raccoon, will eat almost anything like a coyote, and are very good at not being seen. Also the black tinted varieties, often refered to as Panthers, were traded all over the world for decades as pets.

Here in Northeastern Indiana, there was a picture in "THE DECATUR DAILY DEMOCRAT" a few months ago which was the same color and same shape as the black one shown on the computer screen, only "ours" had a fence in the background.

There have been "big cat" theories here for a very long time. Bobcats have been seen and acknowleged.

On another subject, not all things have been recognized in the textbooks, the legendary "hornsnake" being an example. If you asked an oldtimer in this part of Indiana what poisonous snakes were present, they would have replied "rattlers, mocassins, and hornsnakes. They were sufficiently believed in that a carnival side show could make a good living by glueing a chicken spur to a filed down dime and inserting it into a slit on the head of a blacksnake.

Dad killed one on our farm in the 1920s, and simply thought that it was the first one he had seen, and assumed that there were lots more around. Uncle Earl who was a teacher pointed out that there was no such thing, and presented textbooks to prove it, after which Dad wished he had saved it.

I have thought a lot about it, and concluded that it was designed to kill rodents in burrows, and a single rhinosoros type horn would have been better for extracting it's prey from a tight fitting hole than traditional fangs.

As far as big cats in the outback, I would bet that a population of feral cats could produce some pretty large animals in a few generations under the right conditions. Big enough to account for all the photos except the 'roo in the tree anyhow. It the photos that show cats and prints, the scale is a bit hard to judge. (The magazine cover is obviously at least a case of forced perspective if not an outright fake.)

On the other hand, I would not be surprised to find out that a breeding pair of panthers or some other large cat could be out there. They could roam around for years without being seen. For the most part, Australia is relatively empty of people except along the east cost as far as I understand. (My wife is from Brisbane) Are the sightings/evidence relatively isolated to a particular area?

We have bobcats here in PA and there are also "Big Cat theories" here. Many hunters (including some of my relatives) claim to have seen Cougars but according to the authorities they do not exist here??????

Well, I don't know about the authorities. I don't think they know it all.

I have two species of asparagus beetles that infest my asparagus patch. According to my "insect" control books, the one that appears to be the more prevalent has not yet to be found in our southwestern part of British Columbia....well...I don't know where they got their information, but they had published it and that is bunk!!!! So, I think that one should only believe what they see and not what they hear. Great day. Cindi

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There are strange things done in the midnight sun by the men who moil for gold. The Arctic trails have their secret tales that would make your blood run cold. The Northern Lights have seen queer sights, but the queerest they ever did see, what the night on the marge of Lake Lebarge, I cremated Sam McGee. Robert Service

My husband used to work at Avon Dam which is located in a National Park just west of Illawarra/Wollongong NSW. There have been reported sightings from various contractors working on site over the years of a black panther roaming the bush. It sure is a large area there with a good food sources and lots of water. It is very interesting to hear about these sort of things. You wonder what might really be running around out there in the places that are not as heavily populated as the coastal regions. Take care!

I have lived here since 1990, planted asparagus the following year, three years before I harvested any. When the plants became quite developed, that is when the asparagus beetles arrived. They must be able to smell it a long ways away.

Both species were prevalent when they arrived. So...yes, I still think the book gave wrong information about the topic. Oh well, maybe they just did not receive any information from and gardeners from our area (LOL).

I have over the years kept this pest under control. In the early times I used to compost the fronds at the end of the year. BUT. Upon further research into growing asparagus, it was learned that the foliage should be destroyed by burning when it is cut down in the fall. This advice is because the beetles overwinter inthe composted material. Since I have been very good about squishing as many bugs as I see, and using Bt to keep the larvae under control as well, the population of beetle has declined. I do not have the tender little asparagus shoots being consumed by the pests anymore, they can do incredible amount of damage to the shoots before you even know it. Great day. Cindi

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There are strange things done in the midnight sun by the men who moil for gold. The Arctic trails have their secret tales that would make your blood run cold. The Northern Lights have seen queer sights, but the queerest they ever did see, what the night on the marge of Lake Lebarge, I cremated Sam McGee. Robert Service